World Leaders Extol Mandela Before a Crowd of Thousands

SOWETO, South Africa — In an outpouring of praise, remembrance and
celebration, scores of leaders from around the world, including
President Obama, joined tens of thousands of South Africans in a vast
rain-swept soccer stadium here on Tuesday to pay common tribute to
Nelson Mandela, whose struggle against apartheid inspired his own
country and many far beyond its borders.

Huge cheers greeted Mr. Obama as he rose to offer a eulogy that blended a
deep personal message with a broader appeal for Mr. Mandela’s values to
survive him. South Africans, swathed in their national colors, some
wearing wraparounds bearing Mr. Mandela’s portrait, celebrated their
former president both as an inspiration and as an inherited memory for
younger people raised in the post-apartheid era.

“To the people of South Africa — people of every race and every walk of
life — the world thanks you for sharing Nelson Mandela with us,”
President Obama said. “His struggle was your struggle. His triumph was
your triumph. Your dignity and hope found expression in his life, and
your freedom, your democracy is his cherished legacy.”...